Christianity in Korea began as an indigenous lay movement than being one preached by foreign missioners. Korean Yi Seung-hun, who was baptized in China in 1784, began to baptize others that year. As their faith began to spread, Catholics also faced persecution and hardships from rulers who viewed the religion having a subversive influence.
During the 1801 Catholic persecution several were killed including Korea's first Catholic priest Father James Zhou Wen-mo, who was sent by Beijing diocese in 1794. Rulers began to see Catholicism as a false religion that denies Confucian ethics and invites the Western imperialism to invade the country. The largest persecution in 1866 produced some 8,000 martyrs.
The persecution officially ended in 1886 with the signing of a treaty with France. But by 1910 Japan colonized Korea. Korea was liberated in 1945 when the Allied Forces defeated Japan, but soon divided into North and South Koreas.
Catholics in the communist North Korea met again oppression, and most fled to the South. North Korea revived religions in 1988 with building the Changchung Catholic Church in Pyongyang without any resident priest or nun.
- Capital:
- Seoul
- Population:
- 49 million (South Korea)
- Catholic:
- 5.1 million (10 %)
- Diocese:
- 3 archdiocese, 14 dioceses, 1 military ordinariate, 1 abbey territory
- Major religion:
- Christianity 26%, Buddhism 26%, Confucian 1%
Also it claims some 3,000 Catholics, but the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea officially sees no local Catholic there, prohibiting South Korean priest from saying any Mass for the self-professed North Korean Catholics. Since the Korean War (1950-53) bishops in South Korea have been the apostolic administrators for the three dioceses there.
Meanwhile, Catholicism in South Korea has been growing. As of 2009, it has 5.1 million Catholics among 49 million South Koreans. Its rapid development is attributed mostly to its contribution to the country's democratization from military dictatorships in 1970s-80s.
The Church in South Korea has 15 dioceses and a military ordinariate .